Re: What NON-FICTION book should we discuss in November, December & January?

I would like to suggest "Educated" by Tara Westover. Born to survivialists in the Idaho mountains, Tara Westover grew up without going to school, seeing a doctor, pretty much isolated from the rest of the world. But she managed to self-educate herself to be admitted to Brigham Young University, and eventually earn graduate degrees. My cousin recommended this book to me, and I intend to read it whether it is selected or not.

_________________Love what you do, and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. -Ray Bradbury

Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it. -Robert A. Heinlein

Tara Westover wasn’t your garden variety college student. When the Holocaust was mentioned in a history class, she didn’t know what it was (no, really). That’s because she didn’t see the inside of a classroom until the age of seventeen. Public education was one of the many things her religious fanatic father was dubious of, believing it a means for the government to brainwash its gullible citizens, and her mother wasn’t diligent on the homeschooling front. If it wasn’t for a brother who managed to extricate himself from their isolated—and often dangerous--world, Westover might still be in rural Idaho, trying to survive her survivalist upbringing. It’s a miraculous story she tells in her memoir Educated. For those of us who took our educations for granted, who occasionally fell asleep in large lecture halls (and inconveniently small ones), it’s hard to grasp the level of grit—not to mention intellect—required to pull off what Westover did. But eventually earning a PhD from Cambridge University may have been the easy part, at least compared to what she had to sacrifice to attain it. The courage it took to make that sacrifice was the truest indicator of how far she’d come, and how much she’d learned. Educated is an inspiring reminder that knowledge is, indeed, power. --Erin Kodicek, Amazon Book Review

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad OnesThis breakthrough book from James Clear is the most comprehensive guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day.

From increasingly severe storms to collapsing coral reefs to the displacement of Syrian citizens, in this eBook we examine the effects of Earth’s changing climate on weather systems, ecosystems and human habitability and what this means for our future.

Atomic Adventures: Secret Islands, Forgotten N-Rays, and Isotopic Murder: A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Scienceby James MahaffeyPegasus Books Ltd. 2017

I have not read this book but I have read Atomic Accidents* by this author. Nuclear science (I find) is not an easy thing to understand. The allure of this author is that he makes learning enjoyable. The book is non-fiction but it is not a technical report. He has an almost light-hearted take on the subject

If you have Amazon Prime it's free. You don't need a Kindle, you can get it free on your PC.

The other books suggested appear to be good reads with the exception of the self-help book. Just not a fan of the genre.

*I've posted a bit about Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters: From the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima.

_________________Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.— H. L. Mencken

Re: What NON-FICTION book should we discuss in November, December & January?

You're funny.Best information says the final season begins in July, 2019.

I need to vent:The first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series was published in 1991. Book 5 was published in in 2011, 6 years after book 4. We're still waiting for book 6. This is crude but I doubt Mr. Martin will live to see the final book (7) published. Just glance at his pic. Hey, poor Robert Jordan died before finishing The Wheel of Time. I will never again buy the first book in any series until the final book is published. I'll miss out on some first editions, but I'll pay less.

_________________Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.— H. L. Mencken

Re: What NON-FICTION book should we discuss in November, December & January?

Hello, I am a newbie here, Harriet Hunter, and while I'm a tad intimidated to put this out here, I would be honored if you would consider a discussion in the coming months about my new book that just hit Amazon entitled, "Miracles of Recovery."

A 365-daily inspirational, Miracles of Recovery is, for the most part, a spiritual and holistic overview of the 12-steps of alcohol and drug-addiction recovery and tells the truth from my experience of 19 years clean and sober, as to what really happens inside the rooms of AA, Al-Anon through the eyes of the 12-steps and what it takes to maintain "long-term sobriety," no matter what. This book is intensely personal, and holds back little about what it is like to live as an alcoholic/addict, whlle promoting positive solutions and hope for all of us in recovery on every page.

This is a book that will absolutely speak to parents, spouses and individuals interested in the disease of addiction overall. Harriet E. Hunter

Re: What NON-FICTION book should we discuss in November, December & January?

Chris OConnor wrote:

Litwitlou wrote:

Winter is Coming11/06

Is that the next Game of Thrones season start date!?

Actually Winter is Coming would be a good choice. Did you know Vladimir Putin is probably the wealthiest person on planet Earth? Or that Putin's team of wealthy kleptocrats can assassinate his enemies anywhere? World chess champion Garry Kasparov is an expert on the Soviet system and has dire warnings in this book.

Re: What NON-FICTION book should we discuss in November, December & January?

We have looked at "The Master and Margarita" and "1984" recently. I think it would be a good idea to bookend these ideas with a look at the chaos into which Russia descended, and the turn to a strongman that followed. I have still not recovered from the murder of Boris Nemtsov.

Edit. Well, actually I think I would also like "Educated". Two good choices.

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